And the Fox Roared
by The Ghoul's Bee
Summary: The Biju were thought to be legend; a children's tale to keep them humble and wise. Not once did the world think them real, and perhaps that was their mistake. When the merchant town of Tanzaku Gai is suddenly destroyed, Jonin Minato Namikaze and his teacher Jiraiya are sent to investigate. They would be the first to learn the truth; that even legends, can have Nine Tails.
1. An Unfortunate Report

_"What is Chakra?_

_Chakra is our foundation. Our way of life. For what are we, who, are we, without the spiritual energy that flows through our veins?_

_Chakra is present in all living things. It is in your dog, your cat, and yes, even in that fly you see, sitting by your bedroom window. It is something that is not seen, but we feel its presence everywhere we go. It is practically part of our job in this day and age, as we sacrifice our lives to the betterment of the village, as Ninja."_

A hand slowly raised in the back of the class.

"Yes, Inuzuka-san?" the lecturer said, well aware of the annoyed gazes of the students around him.

"Sensei, you said every living being has chakra. Does that include the Biju as well?"

The class, which had been filled with soft, if not subtle whispers up to that point, quieted. The teacher sighed softly, realizing he should have expected such a question from a student so young.

"Stupid mutt!" a stingy-looking girl in the back of the class yapped. "The Biju aren't real!"

"Oh yeah?! And where's your proof of that, ugly?!"

That insult was what started a horrible argument, and the teacher began to crease his brow in distaste. Why had he decided it'd be a good idea to retire to teach again…?

Just before he opened his mouth to berate the two and silence the class, a calm, confident voice arose from the center of the class.

"I… don't know whether the Biju are real or not," a blonde-haired, blue-eyed boy said, "but I think, that if they were real, they too, would be bound by our rules. Chakra, physical energy, spiritual energy. Everything has it… and, I'd like to think, that everything can use it, as well."

His words seemed to calm the rowdy students, and meekly, the Inuzuka boy who'd first asked the question found the will to speak again.

"Sis says the Biju will eat whoever doesn't do well on the Graduation Exam. It's why so many of our clansmen have disappeared lately."

If only that were true, the teacher thought. Still, the idea of the mythological beings feasting on Konoha's soldiers was humorous, compared to the truth.

War was an ugly thing, after all.

"I don't think that Sage's Tale was meant to teach us to fear the Biju." The blonde-haired boy spoke once more. "I believe, that it was meant to teach us to respect the world around us, and see things as they are, and not as they appear to be. _Nature gave us these abilities… and it can take them away._"

"Well-said, Namikaze-san." The teacher smiled thankfully, and prompted the boy to sit back down. "As your classmate has said, Inuzuka-san, the Sage's Tale is meant to teach wisdom and respect for the world around us. The Biju are mere fairytales, and certainly haven't been responsible for your family's disappearances. But tell your sister that your teacher says to stop picking on you, or maybe she'll be the one tossed down the Juubi's throat, eh?"

The Inuzuka smiled at that and nodded, and class continued as it had.

Just outside the room, an old, white-haired man frowned.

"So, Jiraiya." The man's old teacher said, rubbing his beard in thought. "Did you see any you like?"

"Hmph. They're all brats. You really think any of them are worthy of my teachings?"

His teacher sighed.

"Spare me the nonsense Jiraiya. I can see it in your eyes. You've found one you liked, didn't you?"

The aged Sannin grunted his agreement, and despite himself, a wry smile formed upon his lips.

"The blonde one. He has a good head on his shoulders. Make it him."

The other man nodded and turned to leave.

"Minato Namikaze then." he said, his voice solemn. "It shall be done."

There was a swirl of leaves, and they were gone.

* * *

><p>Twelve years had passed since that day, and Minato Namikaze had grown.<p>

His small, short body had grown tall and lean, and his hair, blonde as ever, had grown, if only by a few inches. His strength too, had increased. He was proud to say that he was now filled with the muscles fit for a Jounin of Konohagakure.

Jounin.

The title still felt strange to the twenty-four year old blonde. Just a few days ago he'd been a member of ANBU, working among the shadows to ensure the safety of the village. How many years had he spent, playing lapdog to the whims of Danzo Shimura? How long had he sought to finally rejoin the ranks of Konoha's main force?

Far too long, he thought.

Still, his patience was well rewarded, it seemed.

Finally, he was free to continue moving up the ladder, he thought to himself. Now that he had returned to the light, all that was left was for him to take the hat.

Hokage.

It was always the endgame, Minato knew. No matter how many years he spent wallowing in the dark, Minato had always kept his eyes on the prize.

A prize, that was not far off, if his sources were to be believed.

But could they, when they spent most of their time writing porn just beyond the gaze of the women at the bathhouse?

"Why am I not surprised to find you here, Master?" the blonde drawled, a disappointed stare coming over his features as he laid eyes upon his teacher and friend, the self-proclaimed gallant Sage, Jiraiya.

"Ah! Minato! Just the gaki I was waiting for!" the white-haired shinobi grinned with glee. "Tell me, which of these women best suit your taste?"

The man's gaze was perverse, as always, Minato noted. A shame Tsunade was no longer present to reel him in, when necessary.

"Must you really play these games now Master? Our comrades have already grown tired of your habits, and you must admit that even your… _reputation_ has been lacking as of late. And despite this you still…"

"Oh, come off it already and tell me what you think!" Jiraiya laughed, interrupting the blonde's words with a wave of his hand. "We both know you aren't going to tell anyone anyway!"

With a soft sigh, Minato relented to his teacher's demands, and subtly scanned the crowd in the bathhouse below.

"Woman on the far left," he said, "blonde hair."

Jiraiya moved his binoculars as instructed, and the low sound of perverted giggles filled the air.

"Oooh, a Yamanaka girl, eh? You sure know how to pick em, gaki! The size of those things!" Jiraiya laughed. "Not as good as Tsunade's, but they'll do. Still," he added, lowering the scope and returning them to the folds of his robes, "I would've taken you as a red-head lover myself."

"Quite." Minato sighed, folding his arms at his forlorn sensei. "Now then, if you're done peeking on the fine women of this establishment," another laugh from Jiraiya, "perhaps you'd like to tell me just what you called me for in such a hurry? I can't imagine it'd be to read over your new book?"

"Ah! Right, right!" Jiraiya remembered, rising from his place to grab a set of scrolls from his pockets. "Watch closely, Minato! I think I've discovered a new formula to use-!"

As the man began to unravel his notes and scriptures, Minato resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

"Not again with these ridiculous patterns of yours Master-"

"Not patterns_!_" Jiraiya scolded. "_Seals!_ And mighty fine ones too, if I've created them right! Just think, Minato! The power of infinite space, in the palm of your hands! To carry any number of indefinite items, and have it weigh no more than a simple scroll! This is it! This is the-"

"-big one, yes I know." Minato sighed, having heard the same spiel from Jiraiya the past five years.

He didn't know when Jiraiya had become so interested in sealing, an art long deemed worthless and unnecessary, if only for practically _every_ shinobi's inability to practice it. Perhaps it had been during the Sage's venture to the West, where he claimed to have been set upon by "highly skilled natives." Minato sighed. The man never had been quite the same after that.

"I'm telling you gaki, this one. It'll be useful." Jiraiya said, a glint of steel shining in his eye.

Slowly, the man retrieved a kunai from his back pouch, setting it upon the gathered symbols and crude lines written upon the scroll. Jiraiya pressed his palms to the paper's ink, and muttered a whisper so soft not even Minato could hear.

Almost instantly the lines upon the scroll glowed with white light, and for a moment, Minato had thought his teacher had done the impossible. He almost, _almost_, spoke too soon. The light soon fizzled and faded away as a small plume of smoke erupted from the scroll's page, covering the old Sage with soot and charred ash. As Jiraiya waved it all away, the kunai was revealed to be exactly where he had left it; upon the scroll's charred pages. Upon closer inspection, it seemed the kunai had been cooked somewhat thoroughly.

"Well," Minato smiled wryly, "at least now you'll be able to fry all the basil-pickled garlic and chicken you want, right?"

"Damn it!" Jiraiya cursed, ignoring Minato's attempt at humor. "I don't understand what went wrong! Were my calculations off? I could've sworn that with a hexagon it'd be more stable… did I overload it somehow, or were one of the codes misaligned…?"

Jiraiya continue to muse and curse over his latest failure, ignorant to his surroundings. Minato however, was not so distracted.

"I think your corrections will have to wait, Master." Minato said, his eyes narrowing as he felt the approach of a several strong ninja. "We have company."

No sooner did Minato finish that statement did five fully armed ANBU descend upon them, each wearing their own, stylized, ANBU mask.

"Jiraiya-dono, Namikaze-san, the Hokage requests your presence." One of the ANBU stated, stepping forward to speak for the group.

"Hmph. A summons? Tell that old codger to wait would ya? I'm busy." Jiraiya snorted, continuing to stare at his failed seal.

Minato would have been struck stupid by the sheer audacity of his teacher to speak of the Hokage in such a way, if he had not known beforehand that the insults were not meant in a demeaning fashion.

Evidently however, not all of the ANBU knew Jiraiya as he did.

"You dare-!" one of the lesser experienced ANBU began, moving to take a step forward only to be halted by a stern hand from their superior. Minato could _feel_ the glare the rookie was being given beneath the mask.

"He said it was urgent, Jiraiya-dono." The lead ANBU said, and a brief silence settled between them.

It was with a reluctant sigh that Jiraiya finally caved, rolling his scroll shut and making to stand.

"So sensei wants to see me eh? And he wants me to bring gaki here along too?" Jiraiya repeated the summons, earning a nod from the ANBU unit. "Alright. I'll go see what the old man wants. Besides, he might be happy to hear that some of his ANBU aren't as emotionless as Danzo wants them to be, even when they're on the job."

"Rest assured, Jiraiya-dono," the head ANBU said with a stoic voice, "it won't remain that way long."

With a subtle signal the ANBU unit dispersed, and Jiraiya turned to gaze at his prized apprentice.

"Well, you heard the man," the Sage said with a tired sigh, "let's go see what Sarutobi wants."

They took to the rooftops, and Minato realized that for once, Jiraiya hadn't left the hot springs screaming.

There was a first time for everything, he supposed.

A shame the same could not be said for entering the Hokage's office.

As the pair entered the corridor leading to the man's office (Jiraiya's sober mood had lessened the entertainment of entering the "usual" way) Minato couldn't help but notice the sheer number of shinobi present in the area.

Certainly, being the Hokage's Office one would expect for ninja to be present at all times. It was where they got paid after all, but the situation… it was different.

_Far_ too many shinobi were present, and the uneasy tension that had filled the room… it reminded Minato far too much of the atmosphere during the Third War.

Immediately, a fearsome worry clutched at his heart.

Had Iwagakure finally made their move? Minato had known it would only be a matter of time. Konohagakure _had_ slaughtered half their forces during the war after all, but to recover so soon?

No, he thought, attempting to rationalize the situation.

It had to be something else. The Tsuchikage may have been a stern, unpleasant man, but he was no fool. Something else was going on, and with any luck, Minato was about to find out.

"Toad Sage and Gaki here to see the old man." Jiraiya said simply, smirking at the secretary Sarutobi had chosen for the day.

"Jiraiya…" the woman groaned, gesturing for them to enter. "I am in no mood for your games. Go, and none of your nonsense. It's rather serious this time, from what I've been hearing."

The sage's eyes widened in surprise at the knowledge, and he nodded, moving past her to step inside the office as ordered.

"-_do nothing and wait, Hiruzen! We must strike now, before they have further time to act!"_

"_Nothing is confirmed, Danzo. I think it best you remember which of us is the Hokage, and I declare that we shall not start a war without first knowing all the facts!"_

Jiraiya nodded at the argument, and chose that exact moment to enter.

The doors slammed open, and the Toad Sage strolled in with his usual gallant smile, subtly accompanied by Minato, as usual.

"A summons Sensei?" Jiraiya asked, raising a brow at the man in question. "I'd have never guessed you'd stoop so low."

"Yes, well, you're here aren't you?" the gruff, old voice of the Third Hokage asked, and the man's fingers moved toward the open seats. "Sit, both of you. We have much to discuss. Danzo-"

"This isn't over, Hiruzen." The old warhawk said, turning with a scowl. "We'll speak of this further."

"Yes." the Third agreed, his eyes cold. "We shall."

Danzo left the room, but not before sparing the time to glare at the two new entries to the room. The door slammed shut behind him, and Minato found himself pointing to the door curiously.

"What's wrong with him? He seems even… more upset than usual." Minato asked.

"The times are trying." The Third explained. "Danzo has always been a man of war, and I fear that if the stay the course, a war we shall have. Sit, Minato. You are privy to this conversation as well. Your… exploits, have earned that much."

Minato obliged, and finally, Jiraiya made to speak.

"So, what's this about sensei?" he asked, tinkering with the toys in his pockets. "There were quite a few shinobi out front. Has something happened?"

"You know it has." The Third grimaced, slapping a pair of folders in front of the two shinobi. "Read them, quickly."

Jiraiya reached for the folder almost instantly, flipping it open to discern its contents. Upon seeing his teacher's eyes widen, Minato too moved, wishing to read his own file. Just what was it his Master had seen?

Upon opening the folder, the blonde found out.

Pictures of a ruined town, torn and smashed to ash as if an earthquake, no, a hurricane tore through. Buildings were scattered, and dead, frail bodies littered the streets. If it had not been for his shinobi training, Minato wondered if he would have puked right then and there.

"What…?"

"Check the date. And location while you're at it." The Third stated, interlocking his fingers in a gruesome manner.

"This… this was not even two days ago." Jiraiya realized. "Sensei, how on earth did you-?"

"ANBU Black Ops delivered this file to my desk this morning. The entire squadron had been decimated, _slaughtered_, by a foe they could not see or hear. ANBU Black Ops, the best of Konoha, _beaten_," the Third snarled, smashing his fist onto the counter, "by something they could not _comprehend_. Jiraiya, take a look at the last picture. Tell me what you see."

Jiraiya frowned, flipping the file to its final page and glancing at the poor photography.

Black and White was so Second War, but if it was the best they could do…

"Smoke, ash." Jiraiya mused, studying the photo thoroughly.

Indeed, the picture in the file was of the burning village. The smoke had fogged up the lens it seemed, rendering any photo taken blurred and inaccurate. Still, Jiraiya thought he could make out spots that were darker than others, and if he connected them together… what _was_ that?

"A cloud…?" he asked after a moment, his eyes squinting unsurely.

"A cloud, perhaps." the Third agreed. "Perhaps it is a falling building. Perhaps, it is the aftereffect of whatever jutsu caused this. Danzo seems to think as much, and I need not tell you who he thinks fired it."

"Iwagakure." Minato realized, staring at the same picture with a steady gaze.

"I, however, am not yet sure what to think." the Third said. "There is not yet enough information to make such a crucial decision. I require facts, Jiraiya. Facts, that you are known to deal in. Tell me, pupil, have you ever seen something such as this?"

"Not since Hanzo." Jiraiya admitted, his face twisting into a grimace.

Minato didn't blame him. The Salamander was not likely one of the man's fondest memories.

"Then it is as I feared." the Third breathed. "We stand against an invisible foe, not knowing when or where they will strike next."

"We must have time?" Jiraiya asked incredulously. "Whoever did this, Iwa, a Nukenin, they can't have gotten _that_ close without some kind of sighting?"

"These buildings… they look familiar." Minato said suddenly, and the Third frowned.

"I fear they would be, to those in the village. Look at the location dated in the report, Namikaze-san." He said as gently as he could. "Just beneath the date."

Minato did as instructed, and upon reading the words his heart stopped.

"But… that has to be a mistake." The blonde breathed, and Jiraiya too, noticed what he missed.

"Impossible…" the sage muttered.

"Yes." The Third said gravely, taking a moment to smoke his pipe. "The village attacked… was Tanzaku Gai."

* * *

><p><strong>Hello all. Hope you enjoyed reading this small first chapter I've written.<strong>

**I'm sure you're all a bit confused as to why Jiraiya, a well-renowned seal master in canon, had trouble activating, much less **_**using**_** a simple Storage Seal during the course of this chapter.**

**Simply put, this is my take on a Narutoverse where sealing was not so widely studied or used. As such, many things have changed as a result. For example, the Hyuga, well-known for their use of the Caged Bird Seal to protect the secrets of the Byakugan, have no such seal to defend themselves with. As shown, Jiraiya was having trouble producing, or should I say, **_**inventing**_** a storage seal, something that people like Tenten used often in canon. It was a little crude, I'll admit, but I was interested in seeing what would happen in such a world, and hope to explore the matter further. That being said, I don't want you to think sealing simply doesn't exist. There are those within this modified verse who use seals, and are competent in them, but they aren't exactly going around teaching everyone their secrets. Anyway, I won't say more at risk of spoiling you all, so I hope you all check back for the next chapter, assuming this one hasn't dried your interest.**

**Be sure to give me your thoughts and review (if you want), and I'll try to get back with any questions you might have.**

**Thanks for reading, and as always,**

**See you next time!**


	2. The Woman With Seals

"This can't be! Tanzaku Gai, it's only a day's walk from here! How'd this happen?!" Jiraiya exclaimed, rising from his seat, affronted.

Minato knew what the man meant. It wasn't so much the destruction that had set him off, but rather the fact that the destruction had occurred so close to Konoha… and they had not heard a thing until it was too late.

Had the border patrol been lax in who they let through? No, he thought. They were the first defense Konoha, _no_, the Land of Fire had against invaders. For them to have been bypassed without tripping a single alarm…

It was a chilling thought.

No wonder Danzo had been so upset. To be told that the elite members of Konoha, be they ANBU or Border Patrol, had been utterly _useless_ against this invisible threat… Minato wouldn't be surprised if the man started demanding the reactivation of ROOT.

"Sensei…" Minato said softly, attempting to calm the enraged Sage.

"Silence Minato!" Jiraiya warned, glaring at the boy for the briefest of moments before turning to reengage the Third. "We've been lazy, _idiotic_! What are the names of the heads of staff you have running the Border Patrol Missions right now?! How loyal are they to Konoha?! How long have they been shinobi?!"

"Inuzuka, Tsume. Aburame, Shibi. Nara, Shikaku. Haruno, Kizashi. Just to name a few." the Third said grimly.

Minato frowned. "I recognize all those names. Members of my Graduating Class. Friends, some of them."

Jiraiya's rage quieted, and he glared at the file in distaste. "Members of Konoha's clans…? Ones that have been present since the rise of the First, some of them with abilities skilled specifically in Tracking and Identifying Enemy Threats! Shikaku has a good head on his shoulders as well, but this Haruno…"

"The Haruno are a civilian family, true." the Third agreed. "However, they have been members of this Village since the days of old, and have provided many great shinobi, and kunoichi, during their stay. I know what you're thinking Jiraiya, but it is useless. I have already had a Yamanaka question them, _all _of them, regarding their memories while on duty. None of them have seen anything out of the ordinary."

"So either we have a gaping hole in our security…" Jiraiya realized.

"…or the threat came from within the Land of Fire." Minato finished, having realized where the pair was going with this.

"I have not yet told Danzo of this." the Third explained. "If he knew that we were facing an enemy who came from within our borders, it is all the more likely that he would do something unbecoming of our village. He has already stated his dissatisfaction with working under the Daimyo, and I fear that if we do not act swiftly, his darker thoughts of rebellion and revolution will become a reality."

"You are the Hokage." Minato said bluntly. "If you're worried about Danzo, why not lock him away?"

"Ah, to be young." The Third smiled, as if recalling a distant memory. "Danzo… despite his interests, the man has his uses. As Hokage, I must make use of every available resource the Village offers, and Danzo offers far too much to be ignored. I would prefer to deal with this without being forced to confront and deal with him in a… _permanent_ manner."

"I understand, Sensei." Jiraiya said then, releasing a tired sigh from his lips. "What would you have us do?"

The Third Hokage retrieved the files from the pair, and soon turned his steely gaze toward them.

"We need to know exactly what we are dealing with. If this is indeed a plot from Iwagakure, or an assault from an enemy borne within our borders… we cannot, _must not_, do nothing. Today, it was Tanzaku Gai. Tomorrow, it could be Otafuki Gai, the capital, or Konoha itself. We must find this enemy, and destroy it, before it can do _this_," he gestured to the file, "again!"

Jiraiya and Minato nodded firmly at the command, and their eyes took on a determined gaze.

"Go," the Third commanded, "take whomever you need with you. This is an S-Rank Mission. Identify our enemy, but do not engage."

"Got it, old man." Jiraiya agreed, and without another word, he swept from the office.

Minato too, prepared to vanish, but a sudden word from the Hokage stopped him.

"Minato. Jiraiya. Is he still fit for duty?"

The blonde paused at the words, and quickly, his thoughts ran through the many failed seals and recent obsession Jiraiya had been gaining.

"Yes." The blonde lied. "Yes he is."

He left the room then, leaving the aged Kage to his thoughts.

* * *

><p>"Pack your things, Minato. We're leaving." Jiraiya said, appearing in the blonde's apartment one hour later.<p>

"I have already prepared, sensei." Came the blonde's reply. "To be honest, I had been expecting your call for quite some time now. Do not tell me that my student's habits are finally getting to you?"

"Hmph." Jiraiya grunted, knowing full well of Kakashi Hatake's bad habits. "Don't be ridiculous, gaki. For something like this, we need as much time as we can spare. I was checking up on some things."

"Your spy network?" Minato inquired.

Jiraiya nodded gruffly. "Yeah. Turns out none of them have been hearing anything unusual from the likely suspects. Iwa's still focused on recovering what they lost during the war, and the other Hidden Villages are far too caught up in their own problems to even think about bringing war to the equation. Did you know Kirigakure is in the middle of another one of its Bloodline Purges? Can't say the whack job in charge knows what he's doing, that's for sure. Dissenters are sure to arise if this keeps up-"

"Forgive me, Master," Minato interrupted, "but our mission?"

"Ah, right." Jiraiya grumbled. "If you're already packed, grab your things and let's go. The sooner we hit the road the sooner we'll know just what it is we're dealing with here."

"Already? But what of our team?" Minato asked.

"We're not taking one. Just you and me, gaki. It's an Intel Mission. The less people we have to risk getting caught the better." Jiraiya explained. "Sure I was thinking about taking one of the Yamanaka, but Inoichi's the only one I'd even think about bringing along, and he's still in Suna cementing that new peace treaty of ours."

"I see." Minato said. "I don't like it. Whatever this threat is, it was capable of destroying an entire unit of ANBU Black Ops. If for some chance we get caught… there is no guarantee we will be able to make it out alive."

"Then let's make sure we don't get caught." Jiraiya said with a smirk.

The two approached the gates of Konoha in silence. Both of them were pondering who, or _what_, could have possibly annihilated the whole of Tanzaku Gai, much less a fully equipped ANBU Unit, in the course of a single night. So caught up in their thoughts they were, that they nearly missed the tagalong they had suddenly acquired.

"Sensei." A young man's voice greeted from beside them. "What's going on?"

Minato turned to his left, noting the sudden presence of silver-hair when before there had been none.

"Kakashi." The blonde said, ruffling his young student's hair affectionately. "I have a mission."

"A mission?" the teen asked curiously, his lone brow raising at the prospect. "Is it dangerous?"

"Perhaps. But then, a shinobi must always be prepared for whatever threats may lie ahead, no?" Minato asked.

"A shinobi must see beneath the underneath…" Kakashi recalled, "You were always good at that, Sensei. Is Master Jiraiya coming with you?"

"Heh, that's right, brat." Jiraiya smirked, enjoying the look on Kakashi's face. "You don't think I'd let the gaki here run off on a super-secret mission alone, do you?"

"Minato-sensei and the Toad Sannin…" Kakashi mused. "This must have to do with the earlier summons."

"You received one as well?" Minato asked, surprised.

"No." Kakashi assured him, shaking his head softly in – _was that disappointment?_ "From what I've been told it was mostly the older Jounin. Former ANBU, and the like. I still haven't been accepted to the ranks yet."

"Enjoy your time off then," Minato smiled, ruffling the boy's hair one more time. "maybe you can go play around with Gai."

"Play around?" Kakashi drawled, "I'm not a little kid anymore, Sensei. I'm fourteen."

"Yes, yes. You're all grown up now. Run along Kakashi. I'll see you when I get back."

Kakashi's eyes narrowed suspiciously at that, but he did not press the subject. Bidding farewell to the two older shinobi, he vanished in a whirl of leaves, leaving to (attempt to) purchase the latest Icha Icha. Why the shop owner never let him through he never knew.

"Nice kid you got there. Barely a teen and already headed for ANBU." Jiraiya mused.

Minato sighed, ruffling his own hair in mild annoyance. "He's… been through a lot. We all have. Obito's death hit him harder than anyone, I think."

"Understandable." Jiraiya grunted. "Kid gave him his Sharingan, for pete's sake. Still, I can't help but wonder. Is ANBU really going to be good for him, or is he just using it as an excuse to run away?"

At that Minato laughed sheepishly. "Don't worry Sensei. Rin wouldn't allow Kakashi to run from his problems in such a way. She'd pull him back, she always does."

"I hope you're right gaki," Jiraiya thought aloud, "for his sake."

The pair's conversation came to an end there, and they stood firm before the tall, wooden gates of Konohagakure.

"Well, this is it, gaki." Jiraiya said. "Last chance to back out."

"I don't think that's an option this time, Master." Minato smiled wryly. "Besides, I'm just as curious as you are, as to what caused such mayhem and chaos."

Jiraiya nodded at that, and began forming numerous signs with his hands. With a soft shout of "Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" he smashed his palm to the floor, and a plume of smoke erupted from the earth below.

A large, but not _too_ large toad stood before them seconds later. Its face was gruff, and it simply eyed Jiraiya for commands as the two shinobi quickly scaled its back.

"To Tanzaku Gai!" Jiraiya roared, pointing forward gallantly.

The toad croaked, and with a thrust of its legs, hopped over the gate, and into the forest beyond.

* * *

><p>"I'll never get used to this." Minato decided as they hopped through the trees on the back of a giant toad.<p>

Jiraiya laughed at his student's words, the boom carrying through the trees and scattering some of the birds above.

"What are you saying, gaki? Toad Travel is the _only_ way to travel! Well, the most enjoyable anyway."

"I am pleased to hear that our motions entertain you so, Summoner." The toad below spoke finally, its voice deep and annoyed.

Jiraiya smiled, patting the toad gently. "Oh don't be such a sour puss Gama-chan. You know toads are the best in the business."

The toad grunted its agreement as it hopped further into the forest.

"Yes. We toads are the best." It confirmed thoughtfully. "Far better than sneaky snakes and drunken slugs."

Minato felt a bead of sweat trail down the back of his head. It seemed the Sannin Rivalry burned fierce even when the three weren't in proximity with one another.

"Oh well the slugs aren't _that_ bad." Jiraiya said with a chortle, and as the conversation steered to a simpler topics, Minato sighed.

He, his Sensei, and a Toad. How long did it take to reach Tanzaku Gai again…?

As it turned out, not that long. Certainly, for an ordinary person the trip to the well-known village from the gates of Konoha was at least a day long, but shinobi were most certainly not ordinary, _especially_ when they could summon toads who could hop a quarter of a mile in a single bound.

Ergo, what was a day long trip for most was but a few hours for the Toad-summoning duo, and as the Jiraiya's toad burst from the trees of the forest, yet again, Minato reeled back in disgust.

Tanzaku Gai. It was even worse than the file described.

The village, it was gone - buried, beneath a pile of smoke and ash.

Tall trails of smoke rose into the evening sky, and the unmistakable smell of burnt flesh hung in the air, saturating the area with its abominable taste. There were no signs of life, from what Minato could tell. Images of a bustling city filled with men, women and children were replaced with the destruction and chaos before him.

A perfect image of death.

"Sensei…" Minato said quietly, descending from the toad's back alongside his teacher.

"I know." Jiraiya said, a solemn expression covering his own face. "Let's split up. We need to see if we can find out what happened here, and if possible, identify the dead. An ANBU Unit was lost here. With any luck… their death was quick."

Minato had nothing to say to that. Departing from his sensei, the blonde wondered just who, or _what_ had done this. He could feel the faint stirrings of chakra typically left after a jutsu, certainly, but the feeling was unlike anything he'd ever felt before.

It was thicker, heavier, leaving him to question whether or not whatever had done this was human at all.

The chakra definitely didn't _feel_ human. It was far too heavy for that. Not even the Third and Danzo himself carried such a weight along with them. Orochimaru then?

Perhaps.

Minato continued scouring the destruction of the town, hoping that something, anything, would make itself known to him. Something that would help explain what had happened there.

After what felt like an hour doing nothing, fate suddenly decided to smile upon him.

As he crossed the bend of a ravaged, decimated street, Minato caught sight of it.

A small flourish of red hair, attached to a shadowy figure turning the corner behind what appeared to have once been a brothel.

"Hey!" Minato called out hastily, giving pursuit. "Wait!"

He turned the corner after the figure, only to find that they had indeed, paused. They were at the end of the street now, it seemed, and their back was turned toward him, waiting for him to speak.

"Who are you? Are you one of the survivors?" the blonde asked warily, slowly approaching them. "Were you here, when… _it_ happened?"

"It?" the figure asked, a feminine voice filling the air.

"The attack." Minato said, confused. "You must know something. What was it that caused all this? A group of shinobi? A natural disaster? No, the chakra saturation is far too high for this to have been caused by any natural."

The woman turned slightly, and Minato could make out part of her face. A scowl was present on her features, and he found himself captivated by her cold, violet eyes.

"And what would you know of chakra, _Leaf-nin?_" she questioned.

It was then that Minato noticed it. The woman was dressed unlike any civilians he'd ever seen, and with good reason. There was a headband, wrapped around her forehead.

It did not bear the insignia of the Leaf.

Ordinarily, this would not have been a problem. Foreign shinobi were often seen in foreign lands, for any number of reasons. However, Minato knew, _for a fact_, that the Daimyo had ordered the Land of Fire's borders closed, at least for a six month probationary period following the yearlong ceasefire and peace talks.

"Who are you?" he asked again, serious this time. "What are you doing here?"

"I don't see how that's any of your business, _Leaf-nin._" The woman repeated.

Her words did not put the blonde at ease. The way she continued used the term "Leaf-nin", it seemed she held no love for those of Konohagakure. Not good.

"I think you'll find it is. You're trespassing on Konohagakure territory." Minato replied slowly. "I could bring you in for questioning."

At the words the woman's eyes steeled, and Minato could have sworn he heard her mutter a number of obscenities beneath her breath. Seconds later, she glared at him fiercely, and raised her hand to offer a rude gesture.

"Go ahead and try it, Dattebane!"

And she leapt away.

"Oh no you don't!" Minato called after her, taking pursuit.

He leapt then, bringing his hands forward while calling forth chakra from deep within. Swiftly, Minato interlocked his fingers in several fast, furious hand seals, and opened his lips to let loose a string of words.

"Fire Style: Flame Bullet!"

Gathered chakra filled Minato's lips as he spoke, and a plume of heat erupted before him, taking the form of a swirling, spiraling sphere of flame. The red-haired kunoichi beyond him turned at the sound, her eyes widening in surprise as the ball of fire rushed through the air towards her.

It was not meant to kill, of course. Minato knew the importance of their mission, and while their orders had been to identify, not engage, he could not afford to let a suspect flee so easily.

Even so, his target knew better than to hesitate.

Turning to face Minato and the approaching jutsu fully, the woman raised her right palm, and a gold light suddenly shone from her skin. Suddenly, a glowing chain burst from her skin, traveling through the air and slicing through Minato's flame with ease.

"What-?" the blonde asked in surprise, adjusting his body ever so slightly as the chain continued to approach.

Allowing gravity to take hold of his upper body, Minato turned into a horizontal fall, just in time for the chain to pass below him, where his legs had been seconds prior. He glanced at the glowing object in surprise, studying it swiftly to record its physical properties.

It didn't seem to be any kind of ordinary technique he'd encountered before, and that color… it was obviously the side-effect of some kind of chakra, but far unlike any Minato had ever seen. A golden color… some kind of Kekkei Genkai perhaps? Minato didn't have enough information to be certain. Nonetheless, the question begged - Just who was this woman?

The two ninja crashed down among the debris of a collapsed roof, and they took a moment to glare at each other fiercely.

"_Her insignia isn't from any of the Major Villages,"_ Minato thought, _"is she from some Minor Village? Are they finally trying to stake a claim? It would be the time to do it…"_

"Typical Leaf-nin," the kunoichi said suddenly, "strikes first and asks questions later."

Minato blanched in disbelief. "I did ask. You just refused to answer my questions."

"And that gives you the right to try and burn me to ash?" the kunoichi inquired, a brow raised.

Minato felt his eyes narrow at the woman. She was surprisingly irritating, though he supposed he should have expected as much from a potential invader.

"You were trespassing, and when questioned attempted to flee." Minato said. "As shinobi we are taught to assume the worst case scenario-"

"How ironic," the woman interrupted, pressing her palm to the ground. "As a kunoichi, I was taught to assume _nothing_."

The ground beneath Minato shattered at that, and a several of the glowing chains burst from the surface, wrapping around the blonde and binding him from head to foot. Not even a silver of hair could be seen from within, and for a moment, the kunoichi smiled.

"Gotcha, -tebane." she whispered, evidently pleased with her performance.

Or at least she would have been, if it weren't for a sudden blue light shining from within her chains' coils.

Her eyes widened. "What-?"

The chains suddenly ripped apart, blown back from the sheer force of a whirling typhoon of energy that was emitted from every part of the blonde's body. As the chains fell away, the kunoichi took a single step back, gazing upon Minato with shock.

"You escaped-?"

"_Reversing Polarity of the Spiraling Sphere,_" Minato explained, "also known as the _Rasenbarrier_. It's a technique I developed by modifying the prestigious Hyuga Clan's _Kaiten_. Of course, that couldn't be done without having first mastered this technique's original form…" the blonde trailed off at that, raising his right palm slightly to cup a small whirling sphere of chakra he'd slowly been gathering, "a little thing I like to call…"

He leapt forward, and the kunoichi resumed her stance.

"The _Rasengan!_"

Minato thrust his palm forward, pushing the compact orb out toward his target. The kunoichi grimaced in response. She had no idea what the technique did, but if it was anything like the last technique Minato used, she was certain it was going to hurt. A lot. That being said, it was only natural that she'd attempt to defend herself. If that meant she had to stop holding back, so be it.

Raising her palm once more, the kunoichi leapt backward, attempting to gain even a single second of time before their inevitable collision. Time seemed to slow around her, and a slew of incomprehensible words and noises fled from her lips, all the while her palms remained in the air, dancing about in ridiculous gestures.

It took a two seconds for her to complete her technique, and three for Minato to finally reach her. As he prepared to press his Rasengan into her gut, he couldn't help but notice the lines now hovering in the air just before her.

It was familiar, _far _too familiar, he realized.

And of course it was, he thought in hindsight, because it looked similar to the same workings Jiraiya had been playing about with for the past few years.

"_A Seal?!"_ Minato thought, shocked. _"And in the air, without ink?! But that should be impossi-"_

His thoughts trailed off as his Rasengan collided with the lines, and the kunoichi's eyes widened at the chance.

"_Sealed Art!"_ she shouted, determination and just a hint of glee in her voice. "_Richochet Array Shield!"_

A blinding light engulfed the surrounding area, and for the first time, Minato found himself on the receiving end of his own move.

"_A technique that takes in and reflects the attacker's jutsu?!"_ he thought just before the pain hit. _"But such a thing- for such a Seal to exist- that would takes years and years of experime-"_

The force of his Rasengan hit, and as he was sent careening away from the red-haired woman, Minato's eyes rolled back, and he knew no more.

* * *

><p>Jiraiya stopped as a sudden explosion erupted in the street two blocks down. Recognizing the destruction for what it was, the old sage widened his eyes, and prepared to leap.<p>

"Minato?!" he shouted frantically, soaring through the sky far faster than he recalled he could.

The ground shattered and creaked at the force of his landing, and the Toad Sage stared, spotting the undeniably unconscious form of his apprentice.

The red-haired woman standing across from the blonde gazed at Jiraiya in surprise.

"You do this?" the Sage asked slowly, though he already knew the answer.

"I wasn't aware," the kunoichi muttered beneath her breath, "that he had any reinforcements."

Jiraiya approached his fallen apprentice slowly, kneeling down to ensure the man was still breathing.

He was.

"A shame you had to be such a pretty woman." Jiraiya sighed, rising back to his feet to level the kunoichi with a firm glare. "The world'll be worse off… once you're all scarred up from T&I."

"You wanna fight too, Dattebane?!" the kunoichi asked, falling back into a predatory stance at Jiraiya's words. "I already beat your unreliable pet, I bet it won't talk half as long to deal with you!"

"Girlie…" Jiraiya smirked, grabbing the large scroll from his back and slamming it to the ground. "You have no idea who you're dealing with."

"Or perhaps…" a third voice said suddenly, a horde of shaded figures appearing upon one of the few remaining rooftops. "It is you, who do not know whom you are dealing with, Jiraiya."

The old Sage's eyes widened at the voice, and he glanced up, only to find himself face to face with one of the oldest people he knew… and someone he thought long dead.

"Mito… Uzumaki."


	3. The Truth to the Tale

Minato awoke in a cage.

No, that wasn't quite right. It was not quite a cage, but a prison nonetheless.

The first thing he realized was the lack of chakra sustaining him.

Chakra was energy. It flowed through every living being, this he knew. Yet somehow, someone had managed to drain his away, leaving him with little more than was necessary to fulfill basic human functions. Someone… had _sealed_ it.

"Sealed…" he muttered, his voice dry from a lack of water. "That kunoichi…"

In an instant the memories of his earlier battle returned to him, and with a small groan, the blonde made to rattle the golden chains binding his limbs.

"They won't break." A familiar voice spoke curtly to him from the shadows. Minato realized it was that of the same woman he'd fought earlier. "I made them stronger this time. Strong enough to weigh you down."

Minato grunted, and rattled the chains once more to confirm her words. Indeed, with his current strength it would take quite the miracle for him to shatter the new chains. Realizing the futility of his situation, the blonde turned his head, and stared toward the darkness in which his guard stood.

"I see. Then, I suppose I am to be used as a hostage?" Minato questioned. "Or… perhaps you intend to torture me as your prisoner? I should warn you, my lips won't be loosened that easily-"

A soft sigh interrupted Minato's statement, and suddenly the chains binding his legs vanished, dropping him to the floor in a slump. The blonde was surprised, but not shocked. Standing quickly, he made to attack, only to realize his hands and wrists were still bound.

"You're not a prisoner," the woman said while leaving the cover of darkness, "but I can't let you run around freely."

"Not a prisoner? You don't really believe I'm stupid enough to believe that, do you?" Minato inquired. "If that's truly the case, you wouldn't have bothered with the chains."

"The chains were… necessary." The kunoichi explained, tugging on Minato's remaining chains to lead him down the hall. "We couldn't afford to have you wake up and start attacking without explanation."

Minato's face remained unimpressed. "So you drain my chakra and chain me up? Sorry, but that not very convincing."

"It doesn't matter whether you're convinced or not." The kunoichi said. "As far as I'm concerned, you're just another mission, -tebane. One that's finished as soon as I show you to Mito-sama."

"Mito-sama?" Minato asked.

The kunoichi sighed, and made to explain. "The leader of our village. I believe the term for you Leaf-nin would be, a Kage? She is the one who heads the majority of our operations, and the one you should thank. If not for her, you would not have gotten off so… easy."

"Easy, is it? I'm not quite sure that's the word you're looking for." Minato said. "Speaking of easy however, how was it you reflected my Rasengan?"

The kunoichi scoffed. "You don't really expect me to tell you such things, do you?"

"Not really." Minato admitted, "But then, I already have my suspicions. It was a Seal, wasn't it?"

The kunoichi paused, her steps faltering at the words. "Yes. That's correct. How is it you know of such things?"

"My teacher." Minato explained. "The lines you drew appeared similar to those I've seen him attempt to make use of before. Though unlike you, he was never successful with writing on scrolls, much less in the air, of all things."

"Of course not." The woman replied, her voice harder. "Jiraiya knows but a portion of what we Uzumaki have to offer. The fact he managed to remember any Arrays at all astounds me."

The use of his teacher's name brought Minato to a halt, and he stared at the kunoichi in shock.

"What? How is it you know my teacher's name? I do not remember giving you such information prior to this conversation." Minato grimaced, wondering if the kunoichi or this "Mito-sama" had some kind of mind-reading technique similar to the Yamanaka. If that was the case…

"You worry far too much, Leaf-nin." The kunoichi said, her voice betraying her amusement. "The reason I know your teacher's name, and why it would be possible for him to draw seals. Well, take a look for yourself."

She opened the door beside her, and Minato was illuminated by a blinding light. The merry sound of partying filled the air, and as Minato's eyes began to adjust, he found himself staring at a most unusual scene.

Jiraiya, his teacher, draped around the forms of several kunoichi. A bottle of sake was present in his hands, and far more were discarded around him.

"Master…" Minato deadpanned, his face as stoic as his words.

"Ah, theresh he is! Minato, my prized studentsh!" Jiraiya cheered, his face reddened and breath reeking of the liquor that filled him. "I've been waitin on ya! Wheresh ya been?!"

"In a prison, though it seems you had more luck than I…" Minato drawled.

"Prison? Don't be ridiculoush! Yah were unconscious, gaki. Kushinna hads ta, fix ya shesh did! Mito-chan's orders they were!"

The kunoichi accompanying Minato frowned at that, even more so upon realizing that her comrades were locked tight beneath the Sannin's arms. She approached the man steadily, greeted by his perverse stare and giggles.

"Master Jiraiya, though you may be a friend of our leader…" the woman said, her voice rising ever so slowly, "I thought I warned you to STAY AWAY FROM OUR SAKE?!"

She smashed her fist into the man's face at that, and a crunching sound echoed through the room, filling not only Minato, but Jiraiya himself with fear and dread. As the old sage's eyes went blank, his body was thrown back, tumbling through the room swiftly and coming to a forceful stop against the cold, steel wall.

The two kunoichi he'd been holding onto moments prior scattered, fearing Kushina's wrath far more than the other occupants of the room. They, unlike their visitors, knew just how powerful the woman could get when she was truly angry.

"You stupid fool! We grant you entry into our home and you repay us by drinking all our wine and seducing our women?! I'll kick your ass, DATTEBANE!"

"N-Now hold on, Kushina." Jiraiya said suddenly, his mind having sobered at the presence of a true threat. "You wouldn't go against old lady Mito's instructions, would you?"

Kushina glowered at that, her brandished fist seeming all the more terrible at Jiraiya's words.

"Those instructions don't apply to a dead man, -tebane!" Kushina shouted, and she pulled her fist back for a powerful punch.

Sensing the lack of serious killing intent, Minato didn't feel sorry for his master at all. Nonetheless, it seemed that Jiraiya still carried the luck of the gods. Just as Kushina's fist began to fly, a golden chain spread from the doorway behind her, wrapping around the girl's wrist and hindering its motion.

"Now, Kushina. What have I told you about threatening our guests?" a frail, old-looking woman asked, appearing in the doorway with a bemused, if not cold smile.

Kushina immediately lowered her hand, and stared at the woman in awe and surprise.

"Mito-sama! I was- this is-!"

The woman, Mito, Minato noted, raised her hand to cut Kushina off.

"There is no need for explanation, child. I know full well the hobbies of our belated guest." Mito replied, eliciting a small sigh of relief from her loyal kunoichi.

"Ah, Mito." Jiraiya greeted cordially. "You always did know how to make an entrance."

Minato, ever the genius, noticed something distressing.

"Jiraiya-sensei, you don't mean to say you know these… people?"

The Toad Sage smirked, rising back to his feet while scratching the back of his head sheepishly. "Ah, Minato. I'd nearly forgotten you were here. Aye, you don't need to worry. We're among friends, for now."

Friends. The term denoted some level of familiarity between them, if not affection. Were they not the invaders Minato had thought them to be? They knew Jiraiya… but Minato did not recalling seeing even one of them among Jiraiya's spy network, and the honorifics he'd used for this Mito earlier… when did Jiraiya have the time to get so close…?

"You don't mean to say… the tales of your "tribe from the west" were true, do you Master?" Minato inquired, earning a grin from the old man.

"Heh, that's my student. Smart as a whip, that one. I told you he was a genius, Mito." Jiraiya laughed.

Mito turned to regard Minato closely, the hint of a smile present on her lips. "It would appear so, for the moment."

She waved her palms, and suddenly Minato's arms, once bound by Kushina's chains, were free. The kunoichi beside him huffed in response.

"I must admit, this is rather… unsettling." Minato admitted, rubbing his wrists gently. "To think that your stories were true… I take it this is were you learnt what little you know of sealing as well?"

Jiraiya stilled at that, and he turned his head from all in the room.

"Jiraiya…" Mito said softly. "You didn't."

"I… may have experimented some." The man chuckled. "Haven't managed to figure out even the most basic of Storage Seals… though, in other areas I've had more success."

The sound of a slap rang through the room, and both Minato and Kushina glanced at Jiraiya in shock.

"You stubborn fool!" Mito scolded, lowering her raised hand swiftly. "Did I not warn you what could happen? The dangers of tempering with our Sacred Art?! It's a miracle you're still here at all! If you had made even a single miscalculation-!"

"I have precautions set in place!" Jiraiya interrupted. "You taught me at least that much."

Mito huffed, her face drawn back in a sour expression that caught Minato off guard. Was she… was she _worried_ about Jiraiya? After Tsunade, Minato realized it'd been quite some time since he'd seen such concern directed toward the aged man.

"But regardless of my little habit…" Jiraiya continued after a moment, "we have more important things to discuss, no?"

Folding her arms, Mito glared at Jiraiya disapprovingly, to no effect. Realizing this, she sighed, and allowed herself to retreat from his personal space.

"Yes," she admitted, "I suppose you are right. What happened to Tanzaku Gai was… rather unfortunate, I must admit."

"That's your word for it?" Minato couldn't help but ask. "I will admit that it seems you know my teacher, but forgive me if I am not yet convinced that you all…" he gestured to Kushina and Mito, "had nothing to do with the situation."

"What are you trying to imply here-?" Kushina started, only to be cut off by Mito once again.

"Slow to trust. Smart." Mito said, approaching Minato slowly. "Tell me, do you know who I am, child?"

"The leader of a woman who singlehandedly outfought me." Minato responded. "As such, it is only natural I take everything you, and your allies, say with a grain of salt."

Jiraiya laughed.

"Ordinarily, you'd be right gaki," he said after a moment, "but this is _Mito Uzumaki_. The same woman who fought alongside the Hashirama Senju, the First Hokage! She's not quite someone you'd treat as an ordinary enemy. She is far too wise for that."

"We are shinobi, Master." Minato said cautiously. "Is it not our job to treat everything a potential threat?"

"See?" Kushina drawled. "This is why I hate Leaf-nin. Always so quick to start a fight. Tell me, blondie. Were you like this all the time, or was it only after Danzo took over ANBU?"

Minato reached for his holster, which, for some reason, had not been confiscated.

"You know Danzo?" he asked slowly.

"I know of him." Kushina corrected. "His warmongering is well-known in the Land of Fire, and from what we've heard, it's earned him no points with the local Daimyo."

"True. He's always swooping around like an old bat, looking for new ways to bring war to our land." Jiraiya agreed. "But we are not here to talk about him, nor are we here to fight, Minato. Mito, I asked you before, but for his sake, I'll say it again. Just what were you and your clan doing in Tanzaku Gai?"

"The same as you, I suspect." Mito explained cordially. "There have been disturbing… rumors… as of late. Tanzaku Gai has not been the only town hit by this devastation. Smaller towns in the Land of Fire too, have been eradicated, victims, I think, of the same event."

"Event?" Minato asked, his curiosity getting the best of him. "You have suspicions, then?"

"Suspicions… Ideas…" Mito said. "There have been changes in the winds these past few months. I fear they may not be for the better."

"You never seemed like a woman who let her suspicions rest, Mito." Jiraiya said. "There _is_ something you're not telling us."

Mito stared at Jiraiya stoically for several seconds, but her will broke before she could come up with a suitable excuse. Jiraiya, for all his mistakes, knew her too well it seemed.

"Alas, you are corrected. These deaths are not new to me. They are a reminder of a time long past, a time I feared would never see the light of day again." She said. "Not since the time of the departed First, I should think…"

"You've seen entire villages massacred before?" Minato asked, both in surprise and caution.

"Villages. Forests. Mountains. The world was younger, then. Wars raged, and the Countries did not yet have the Village System to curb the fighting. Chaos, was abundant." Mito said, her eyes recalling a darker time.

"You expect me to believe you're old enough to have lived during the Clan Wars?" Minato asked, understandably skeptical.

"The Uzumaki have an unnatural longevity." Mito said. "I am far older than you realize, I think, and your teacher too, would confirm my words. Though he has aged considerably since our last meeting, to him, I must not look a day older than last we spoke."

"One more wrinkle I think." Jiraiya replied. "One less hair. Nonetheless, you are just as I left you."

"Jiraiya…" Kushina warned.

"You must understand," Mito interrupted. "Times were much different then. Brother against brother. Mother against children. It was a cruel fate, to have been born in that era. There were no safe havens, and you would be killed for color of your eyes or the hair on your head. It was a cold time, a darker time, and in that chaos… _they_ appeared."

"They?" Jiraiya asked, having not heard this before.

"Landshakers. Worldbreakers. Beasts who went against the very nature of the world, yet stood for it. A single whip of their tail could shatter mountains and cause tsunamis. Their very presence brought men and gods alike to their knees. You have heard the legends, have you not? Listened to their wisdom in your bed, just before you passed to sleep? I speak of beasts beyond mortal comprehension, Jiraiya. Terrible creatures that know no fear, know no mercy, and will stop at nothing to seek their prey."

"No," Jiraiya breathed, understanding. "Impossible."

"I speak of Biju, child, and a Biju, is what we seek."

"Biju?" Minato asked incredulously. "From the _Sage's Tale?_ They are but a myth! A child's tale with which to teach wisdom and guide young shinobi into striving for an ideal!"

"But all myths are born from some semblance of truth, are they not?" Mito asked. "Hashirama knew this, no doubt. And so, it is no wonder he'd work the beasts into his own, memorable work."

"Hashirama?!" Jiraiya said. "That man, the First? _He's_ the author? The timeline would match up…"

"Master, surely you aren't going to believe this? Not without some form of proof?" Minato despaired.

"Proof?" Kushina said. "Some things are not so easily proven, Leaf-nin. Was it not just yesterday that you thought your sensei's "seals" impossible to create? Just yesterday, would you have believed an entire city could disappear in the blink of an eye? You must learn to take some things on faith, I think."

"Well said, Kushina," Mito praised, "but if it is proof that Minato wants, then it is proof I shall give him. Come, follow me. The answers you seek lie not in this chamber."

Allowing the conversation to stall, Mito turned, guiding the group from the room and toward her own, inconspicuous office. Minato took the time in between to memorize his surroundings, never knowing when or if he'd need to make a mistake. While certainly unpleasant, it was true that these… _Uzumaki_ had not yet been hostile during his time among them, and apart from his skirmish with Kushina in Tanzaku Gai, not a single punch had been thrown between them.

"If you think this wise, Jiraiya, then I shall believe in you." he whispered to himself, deciding to have faith in his teacher… for now.

Kushina scoffed beside him. Wondering whether the woman had heard him, Minato met her scowl with one of his own, before turning to keep an eye on the older woman in front of them. Mito was strange, and while far more pleasant than her hot-blooded subordinate, Minato could not yet tell whether the woman could be trusted. Jiraiya did, certainly, but Minato's time among the man had already taught him that the Sage was not always the best judge of character.

"_And there's the fact that these are the same people he'd been abducted by some years ago."_ Minato recalled. _"There's no telling whether or not they've done something to him. He has acted normally so far… but I should stay focused, just in case."_

"We are here." Mito said, breaking Minato's thoughts as she led them to a large, circular chamber.

Jiraiya whistled. "Quite the place you've got here, Mito. It'd make the perfect location for the next scene in my new novel-"

"No one is interested in your Icha Icha books, Master." Minato said, earning a confused stare from Kushina.

"Icha Icha?" she asked, raising a brow at the chosen name.

"A perverse piece of literature for a perverse man." Minato explained crudely, and Kushina's eyes widened.

She turned to level Jiraiya with a stern glare.

"I see…"

"Enough. We have not the time for this." Mito said, and Kushina silenced herself.

"Sorry, -tebane."

"You sought proof of the Biju's existence, Minato. Here is what we have to offer." Mito said, and a glowing scroll presented itself to him.

Minato took the object graciously, and after a wary glance at both Mito and Kushina, unraveled its contents swiftly.

"What is this?" Minato asked, his eyes wide as he stared at the files contained within.

Mito's eyes narrowed. "The truth."

That much, Minato could make out. Like Konoha mission files, there were pictures and data available regarding the content. _Unlike_ Konoha's however, this scroll was had been labelled with an abundance of seals, and as a result, Minato could _watch_ what was happening. He watched as Konoha's ANBU Unit danced through the trees with practiced ease. He watched as they came upon a large, forsaken tree covered with glowing lines. He watched as the ANBU Leader grabbed his tanto, and pried it into the tree's bark.

For a moment, nothing had happened. A thick silence had drifted over the area, and the ANBU Unit had said nothing. Then, seconds later, a thickly red color seeped from the tree. The bark cracked and groaned as something churned from deep within, and suddenly, a thick, booming roar had ripped the world asunder.

Even through the scroll's recording, Minato flinched, and in doing so, he'd very nearly missed it. The blinding flash of light that swept from the tree outward, the thick, snarling silhouette that rose from the debris.

The cries of the ANBU.

As the light died down, the forest was scorched and the ANBU nowhere to be seen. They had fled, _all the way to Tanzaku Gai_, Minato realized. The recording zoomed in, at that point, scouring the damage and finding only a single piece of evidence. Evidence that both Jiraiya and Minato were familiar with.

A headband, bearing the symbol of ROOT.

"_Danzo_." Jiraiya growled, realizing just what this meant. ROOT was still active, and that meant the old warhawk was bordering on the edge of treason.

"The man sought a weapon of war, but awakened something far worse." Mito explained. "I know not how he came to discern its location, nor why he would be so foolish as to send only eight men. Nonetheless, the fact remains, the beast is free, and I fear, it is extremely, _extremely_ enraged."

Minato replayed the scene again and again, burning the details into his mind. As he did so, he could not help but recall the Third's words.

_The entire squadron had been decimated, __**slaughtered**__, by a foe they could not see or hear. ANBU Black Ops, the best of Konoha, beaten!_

"They could not see because its mere presence blinded them." Minato whispered. "They could not hear because its roar shattered their eardrums. Just what are you?" he paused the recording then, staring at the dark silhouette of the creature's escape, and caught sight of its nine glistening tails.

"Wha-?"

A smoke bomb fell from the ceiling, and covered the room in gas.

"An attack, _here_?!" Kushina gasped out, watching as several silhouettes descended from above.

Minato was thankful for the fact they hadn't confiscated his weapons. It allowed him to grab hold of one of the many kunai in his holster, and use it to fend off his assailant.

Jiraiya too, seemed to be doing well, if the sound of clashing steel was any indication. The gas had covered the room fully, blanketing the area in a thick, gray fog that obscured enemy locations. Minato could still hear the occasional sounds of battle, but as he kicked his own attacker farther into the room, the blonde couldn't help but feel he'd made some kind of mistake.

"_I won't be able to see him now."_ he thought, tightening the grip on his kunai. "Not until it's too late."

"Gaki," Jiraiya's voice came from behind him, and Minato felt the Toad Sage's back press against his, "how are you holding up?"

"Ask me again when we've both gotten out of this alive, Jiraiya-sensei." Minato replied, earning a chortle from the old man.

"That would be ideal, wouldn't it?" Jiraiya asked, senses alerting him just in time to deflect another would-be assailant.

"How is it you're able to see so well in this fog?" Minato asked.

Another chortle. "Seems the Uzumaki seals have more than one use, kid." Jiraiya explained. "Mito hit me with one just before the fighting started. Not sure on the specifics, but it seems to grant me a little more awareness of my surroundings. It's how I found you amongst all the fighting."

"You trust her a lot." Minato noted.

"You would too," Jiraiya explained, "if it had been your life she'd saved. Though I'm loathe to admit it, I'm still a little woozy from all my drinking earlier, any chance you could hit the room with one of those Wind Jutsu of yours?"

"While I'd love to help, sensei," Minato grunted, locked in combat with another mysterious shinobi. "I'm afraid my chakra is still remarkably low."

"That Kushina…" Jiraiya mused. "She always was a bit too forceful for her own good. Wouldn't put it past her to have hit you with a seal of her own at some point."

"Well, I'm sure I'd be more assistance if it was," Minato paused to kick his attacker away a second time, "removed."

"Hmph. Only one of the natives would be able to do that I'm afraid." Jiraiya explained. "Hmph. Guess there's nothing to do for it then. It might be a little clumsy, but it's up to me."

Quickly bringing his palms together, the wizened Toad Sage began forming numerous hand seals, and spread his hands in a show of force.

"_Fuuton: Daitoppa!"_ Jiraiya shouted, and a wave of fierce wind erupted around him, blowing the room asunder. The sound of shattering glass could be heard as the gas fled the room, and as it cleared, Minato realized that the attackers had left along with it.

"Is everyone alright?" Minato asked, glancing around the room quickly.

"Aye. Seems they didn't want to fight in the light. Sound like anyone we know?" Jiraiya asked with a raised brow.

"Danzo. But why would he attack us?" Minato questioned. "Though, I suppose if he knew we knew ROOT was still active…"

"Where is Kushina?" Mito's tired voice asked from behind them. "Where is my kunoichi?"

The two Leaf-nin stilled. Turning, they scoured the room once more, only to find that indeed, Kushina was missing.

"Not good." Jiraiya glowered. "Did they take her in the fighting?"

"It's the only viable explanation," Minato agreed, "unless you knocked her outside with that jutsu, Master."

"I did not. The force put into the technique was just enough to disrupt the gas. She would have had to be lighter than a feather for that to have moved her."

"While this conjecture is all well and good, I'd think the time could be better spent locating my student, would it not?" Mito asked.

"Perhaps we would be able to do so," Minato replied, "if you were to remove whatever device it is that is exhausting my chakra."

Mito scowled at the words, and studied Minato's form for several seconds. "Very well." She said stiffly, and gestured the blonde close.

Warily, Minato obliged.

"I had instructed Kushina to make use of this in the case you did not believe us." Mito explained, running a hand down the blonde's back. "In wake of this attack, however, it would seem there are more important things to fear."

"Like the Biju?" Minato questioned.

"Danzo." Mito corrected. "The Biju are not to be feared, child, but respected. From what I hear, however, Danzo holds respect for no man. He foolishly believes that power is all that is important in this world, and he would bring war to get it. Stupid child. He knows not what he has brought upon the world."

"The picture… there were nine tails." Minato said.

"Nine, yes. Nine Tails, for the strongest beast." Mito explained. "It was buried here, sealed, by the one you know as the First Hokage. He feared… that if the truth of its existence was brought to light, the world would attempt to make use of its power. It was not yet ready, _is_ not yet ready, to know that such things exist."

"And yet, Danzo knew that something, at least, was buried in that exact spot." Jiraiya grunted.

"Something you should ask him, perhaps." There was a humming sound, and suddenly Minato could feel again.

His chakra was returning. Whatever seal it was Kushina had placed upon him was undone.

"You are released." Mito said stiffly, stepping away from the blonde. "Now, go. Bring back my student, and we shall speak of this more."

Minato nodded, and leapt from the room.


	4. First Contact

Leaping into the night sky, Minato frowned. The assailants… whomever they were, they couldn't have gotten far. It had taken but a moment for Mito to unseal his chakra and explain the situation as she thought it to be, but Minato knew that in the business of ninja, even a single second could mean the difference between life and death.

The blonde's grimace darkened, and he quickly scanned the surrounding trees for any sign of movement.

He was away from that remarkably hidden village, now. Jiraiya had stayed behind, claiming to have needed to assist Mito in ensuring other members of the clan hadn't been taken.

Simply put, he had no reinforcements.

Still, it wasn't as if Minato hadn't been in worse situations. The war with Iwa had been filled with them, and if not for his combined knowledge of Taijutsu and Ninjutsu, Minato was certain that he would have been long dead. A shame he couldn't rely on Kakashi's dogs on the Inuzuka instinct. Their tracking abilities would have been useful.

As it was… Minato had no clue where to go next.

He landed on a tree branch overlooking the forest, and his eyes narrowed, studying the forest closely. There was no residual chakra in the area, and unlike specialized Sensors, Minato had neither the knowledge nor proficiency to seek out the energy still radiating within human beings.

Still, there had to have been something. Some clue he'd overlooked, some path he had not taken! Something small, something hidden. So buried that he'd have to look beneath the underneath to have even a chance of finding it!

He leapt from the tree branch, descending down toward the forest floor in search of such a clue.

Footprints, loose soil, there was bound to be _something_ – there!

Minato knelt down, pressing his palms against the dirt to feel the soil.

Soft, loose, someone had been there. But was it a ninja, or an animal? There was nothing to discern either nothing. At least, that's what Minato had thought, until he saw it.

A single strand of hair, dark and red, resting upon a fallen leaf.

There were more, farther down the path. Hairs upon hairs, littered across the forest floor, heading east.

"_Toward Konoha."_ Minato thought.

Another reason to deal with these assailants, then. While skeptical of the group's motives, Jiraiya seemed to have been on good terms with them. That alone was reason enough to comply, Minato thought, so long as Jiraiya continued to show he was not quite the "insane fool" everyone thought he was. The assailants had taken one of his allies, and while Minato had good enough reason to fight, the fact they were heading toward _Konoha_, of all places, only solidified his choice. He could not risk letting harm come to his home, no matter who was responsible. With that in mind, he glanced once again to the hair in the dirt.

Minato was no fool. Despite having only fought her once, he had noted the woman's fiery eyes and attitude, matched only by her burning, _crimson_ hair.

It was a trail.

A trail, he realized, that would lead straight to her kidnappers.

His lips straightened into a stoic line, and he softly muttered a few choice words.

"Found you."

With nothing more to say, he leapt forth, and disappeared into the dark of the night.

* * *

><p>"You're… student," Mito decided to call him, glancing at Jiraiya, "will he be fine?"<p>

"Of course he will. Minato's one of the finest shinobi of his time! He'll handle your hostage problem, and get the girl while doing it." Jiraiya said. "I have the upmost faith in him. Mito, there's nothing to worry about."

"As you say, then. I shall leave Kushina's rescue to him, I think. In the meantime however, you have questions for me, no?" Mito asked.

Jiraiya's smirk faded, and he nodded, turning to stare at Mito morbidly. "Yeah. You've said quite a few things that have surprised me. The Biju, why weren't we told? The existence of such things… surely you realize what that means for the world?"

"What would you have had me do, Jiraiya?" Mito asked quietly. "The Biju were forgotten for a reason. _That man_, he thought it was best for us, for the _world_, that they be sealed quietly. Without noise, without fuss. If the world knew that such powers existed… You have already seen what they are capable of, Jiraiya. Imagine that power, in the hands of your enemies, poised against your loved one's throats."

"And you expect me to believe that he, that the First, left us with no warning? That he left his beloved village, defenseless against such a thing?" Jiraiya inquired.

"I did not say that." Mito scowled, her back stiffening firmly. "The First left you with more than enough. Left all of us, with more than enough. _The Sage's Tale…_ we treat it as a tale of wisdom and guidance, but now that you know the truth of the Biju, what is it, but a guidebook detailing their every aspect? You did not know it, Jiraiya. But you, and the world, have been taught of such creatures since the day of your birth, and have continued to teach, your children, and their children."

"The Sage's Tale describes only the beast's appearances." Jiraiya claimed.

"Tell me, Jiraiya." Mito smiled. "When was the last time you looked, _truly_ looked, through the book's pages?"

"What?" Jiraiya asked, incredulous. "What need would I have for the book? Everyone knows the tale. From front to back, top to bottom, there's nothing that escapes the eye of a child-"

"Ah, but Jiraiya, a child has not been yet been taught to look beneath the underneath, have they?" Mito asked.

"What is that supposed to-" Jiraiya caught himself, his eyes widening in realization. "Impossible. No. Someone would have seen it. Someone would have - someone would have _understood_."

"Perhaps, someone did." Mito explained, moving to her bookshelf. "How is it, you think, that our good friend Danzo knew where to send his men? How is it that he knew some source of power lay buried beyond the First's wooden seals? Danzo may not have understood the truth inside the book, but I fear he has learned enough, to make a detailed guess."

Jiraiya remained silent at that, watching as Mito reached for a small book with a red cover.

"I give to you, the original copy." Mito said, presenting the book to Jiraiya's outstretched hands. "Unedited, untouched, and most importantly, I think, _unsealed._"

Unsealed, Jiraiya thought.

_Of course._

"He spent much time with you, with your people." Jiraiya whispered, turning through the pages, "Of course he would have – how could I have been so stupid, to have missed such a – such a powerful instruction, written by the hand of the First himself?!"

Of course Jiraiya was upset. Why wouldn't he be? Just then, he had learned firsthand, that such a perfect guide to seals had been under his nose his entire life.

Storage, Placement, Transformation.

Designs, Arrays, and Calculation.

Jiraiya's eyes went wide as he skimmed further and further into the book, his mind growing and bursting with ideas by the second –

"The last time you were here, I gave you some instruction, did I not?" Mito inquired quietly. "Perhaps it is time then, Jiraiya-kun, we complete your studies."

She grabbed an empty scroll from her desk, and Jiraiya's eyes were opened.

* * *

><p>The trail, contrary to Minato's expectations, had curled away from Konoha. He had been following Kushina's hairs for some time, and though he grew weary of the monotonous movement, he couldn't help but feel that he was getting close.<p>

Leaping atop another tree branch, the Jounin studied his surroundings once more. The winds had changed, he noted. Something foul was in the air, and while it was not quite as potent as the time at Tanzaku Gai… it was still rather unsettling.

He turned his gaze back toward the floor, squinting his eyes in search of another trail to follow.

"_I don't see any."_ he realized. _"Did she get caught, or… did they stop moving?"_

A sudden shout from the bushes gave him his answer.

"Damn it Shibi! You had one job, _one_ _job_!"

"My apologies. I did not expect our target to escape so easily."

"Hmph! This is what I get for working with amateurs! Just what were they thinking, partnering me with a bum like you?!"

The two Konoha ninja left the bushes, a scowl and indifferent expression present on their face.

Minato's eyes narrowed in disbelief.

"_Those two? But why would they be here? The Third informed us that they had been brought in for questioning regarding the border's security, weren't they?"_ Minato studied the two's forms, and his eyes suddenly widened. _"No! This is a-"_

He grabbed a kunai and turned on his heel just in time, deflecting the slash of a lethal attack that came from behind. Releasing his chakra in a flare of patterns, Minato landed into the dirt, just in time to see Tsume and Shibi's form disappear into thin air.

Genjutsu.

The blonde scowled, glancing upward to face his masked assailant.

"You'll have to do better than that if you want to kill me… _Uchiha._"

"Impressive, Namikaze Minato." The masked figure replied, their red eyes glowing in the night. "How did you come to realize it was Genjutsu?"

"Simple." Minato replied. "An Inuzuka never goes anywhere without their dogs. Besides that, Shibi is an accomplished Tracker Ninja of Konohagakure. Tsume would never, no matter how upset she was, call him an _amateur_."

"I see." The masked shinobi said, falling from the tree to stand across from the blonde. "A mistake, then. It will not matter. You are to cease and desist your pursuit. Failure to comply is punishable by death." The man reached for his tanto then, and Minato caught sight of its blade.

He readied his kunai in reply.

"Leaf-nin!" a voice called out from the side, and Minato realized it was Kushina, somehow bound by her own chains. "This guy-! He's a member of ROOT!"

Minato's eyes narrowed. "I know."

And the shinobi lunged at each other.

Kunai met tanto in the center of the plain, and knowing the danger of the Sharingan, Minato made certain not to meet the man's eyes. Raising his left leg, Minato made to knee the man in the gut, only for the Uchiha to disengage at the last moment, leaving the blonde's attack to glide through the air harmlessly.

Several hand seals later, a booming fireball was looming toward Minato's form.

"_This guy, he's fast!"_ Minato thought, leaping back while forming seals of his own. He reeled his head back, his cheeks puffing with unnatural air as he thought of his reply to the latest attack.

"_Suiton: Water Bullet!"_ Minato thought, and he opened his mouth.

Instantly, a Jetstream of blue fluid rushed from his lips, heading to face the flaming sphere head on. Fire met water above the gentle plains, and though there was no explosion, a fierce boom rang out across the area, filling it with steam.

"You are as skilled as they claim, it seems." The Uchiha said, suddenly above Minato, standing on a branch.

"And you, are rather fast." Minato replied. "Tell me, how is it Danzo got his hands on a prestigious member of the Uchiha Clan?"

"That…" the Uchiha decided, raising his blade once more, "is no concern of yours."

He vanished in a swirl of leaves, and Minato's eyes widened.

Turning, the blonde found the Uchiha standing just beside him, blade poised to strike. Minato raised his kunai, but just a moment too late.

Blood splattered the battlefield, and Minato grimaced, grappling against the man's blade with his kunai. His arm was bleeding, now, but the damage was not enough to hinder his movement in battle. Still…

Minato grimaced as he felt his body be forced back. It seemed the Uchiha had more than just speed on his side. He was rather powerful as well. Even so, Minato was no pushover, not by a longshot. His eyes narrowed, and subtly, his left palm began to glow with blue light. The Uchiha disengaged a second too soon.

"Rasengan!" Minato snarled, cursing as his prized jutsu ripped through the air, meeting no target.

"Dangerous…" the Uchiha whispered, staring at Minato from afar.

"The same could be said of you." Minato said.

The Uchiha's eyes narrowed at that, not that Minato knew. "I do what I do for Konoha. It is my mission, my life."

"Never thought I'd hear an Uchiha since Kagami say something so _loyal_. Even so, your loyalty isn't to Konoha. It's to Danzo, don't try to deny it." Minato explained.

"I need not deny anything." The Uchiha claimed. "You however, may not find it so easy. Tell me, Namikaze Minato. Why is it you seek to recover this girl, when her gifts could be used to strengthen our village?"

"The Third Hokage does not condone the kidnapping of foreign shinobi for breeding purposes." Minato said stoically, "you would know this, had Danzo made any of you read the charter. You claim to serve Konoha, but your actions would rid it of a potential ally. I cannot, and will not, allow this to happen."

"Then you will die." The man said, and he began forming seals.

Minato scowled. The symbols the man was forming, they seemed familiar – his eyes widened.

"I won't let you get that off!" he shouted, and he lunged toward the man quickly.

The Uchiha's eyes shone brighter, and he slammed his palm to the ground. "Too late. _Kuchiyose no Jutsu!_"

The Summoning Technique.

A plume of clouds and smoke erupted just as Minato met the man, and a hoarse cry rang throughout the clearing. Suddenly, Minato was thrown clear of the smoke, his body twirling about in midair before slamming roughly against a tree.

The blonde grimaced.

"_Good thing sensei had me work on my chakra control."_ he thought, having landed on his feet by the skin of his teeth. _"That could have been nasty."_

He turned his gaze upward, and met the angry gaze of a giant boar.

"I wasn't aware Konoha had access to a Boar Contract." Minato said, frowning.

The Uchiha merely gazed at him from atop the boar's back. "You aren't aware of many things." he raised his hand subtly. "Charge."

The boar roared at that, and with a single stomp of its front leg, began to run.

"_This battle can't be allowed to drag on."_ Minato decided, running further up the tree before leaping to another. _"It isn't safe! For me or that woman!"_

The sound of a collapsing tree suddenly reminded Minato of the situation, and he glanced downward, only to see the boar snarling as it plowed through another of the large plants.

"Running? That does not suit a Jounin." The Uchiha said, and he brought a hand to his mouth. "_Kaiton: Great Fireball Technique!"_

A second sphere of flame erupted from the man's lips, and Minato scowled.

So that was the technique. The jewel of the Uchiha, besides their prized Sharingan of course. Minato shook his head, and lunged from the flammable branches back into the clearing. The burning trees were of no concern. He had bigger problems.

Namely, the boar.

Snarling and raging, the Uchiha's summon charged, its tusks inflamed with visible chakra that screamed danger.

Minato readied a Rasengan.

He wasn't sure if it would be enough. Still, he needed to try.

"Closer…" he whispered to himself, watching the boar's approach. "Closer…!"

The summon stopped.

And _leapt_.

Minato watched wide-eyed as the great boar lunged into the sky, its body becoming a shadowy cover that blackened the sky. It began to fall toward Minato's form.

"Rasengan against a falling summon of _that_ size?" the blonde asked, incredulous. He allowed the technique to fade, and glanced toward a group of branches that had collapsed during the beast's earlier rampage. "Sorry, but I'm not that stupid."

He waited until the beast was closer, and traded places with the sticks.

The resulting collision released a boom that echoed throughout the forest, alerting the birds and bees to the situation. Minato could hear the wings of the fleeing creatures, moving quickly to escape whatever had made such a repulsive sound.

The Uchiha, despite himself, was visibly frustrated.

"…Useless." He said after a moment, his angry eyes turning from the boar toward Minato instead. "But, enough fooling around."

He vanished from the spot, then, appearing behind the bound Kushina.

He pressed his blade to her throat.

"Remain still, Namikaze, or the woman dies."

"Is she not the purpose of your mission?" Minato inquired, slowly reaching for another kunai.

"There are more of her, that would suit Konoha's needs. Individuality however, is not the same." The Uchiha explained. He pressed the blade closer to her throat. It drew blood.

"All right." Minato decided. "I surrender."

"Leaf-nin-" Kushina started, only to be cut off by the Uchiha's stern gaze.

"Remain still Namikaze, or I shall carry through on my threat." He warned, grabbing a kunai with his free hand. He aimed it toward the blonde's head stoically. "Now then. For your crimes against Konoha – Die!"

It is a strange thing, substitution. Be it a book, a bird, or even a log, so long as one has the knowledge and skill to replace themselves with said object, it can be done. A shame the Uchiha was so foolish as to not know of Minato's proficiency with the technique. If he had, he might have not stood beneath a tree with so many falling leaves. Alas, he did not, and so he did. So, as the cursed kunai ripped through the air, he thought not of the dead leaf drifting above his head, nor of how Minato's eyes turned toward its figure. What he did think of though, was the danger he was in as Minato suddenly vanished from his sight, only to reappear above him in a split second.

"What."

"_Rasengan!_"

The blue sphere smashed into the Uchiha's head full force, and free at last, Kushina leapt away. The blue orb expanded upon impact, transforming into a spiraling sphere of death and destruction that plowed into the ground below, shredding the ROOT operative's body piece by piece. Minato's eyes were dead, then. Still, he did not look away.

He never did.

With a loud cry he banished the technique, his body rolling onto the forest floor just beside the man he'd killed.

"You fool…" Minato whispered, glancing toward the Uchiha's unmoving figure. "You stupid fool."

"Leaf-nin, ah, Minato." Kushina said slowly, approaching only once she thought it was safe. "Are you… alright?"

Minato rose to his feet, glancing at the dead man before him.

"Yeah. I'm fine."

"Is it, was it, your first time?" Kushina asked, unsure of how to approach the desolate man.

Images flashed through Minato's mind then. The many lives he'd claimed during the war spreading through him like a wildfire. He turned to face Kushina, life returning to his eyes, but only just.

"No." he answered. "No it is not."

He turned toward her more, attempting to maintain his strength. "Are you alright, Kushina-san? They did not, _do_, anything?"

"No? Oh! No!" Kushina sputtered, backing away with a sheepish smile. "They didn't, _do_ anything like you're thinking. The other ones… they broke away some time ago. Something about missing contact with their other squad. Your doing I take it?"

"No. I did not encounter anyone else on the way here." Minato revealed. "You were the prime concern."

"Oh… thanks, for that, I guess." Kushina laughed, scratching the back of her head sheepishly. "I wasn't really expecting you to find me so quickly! How'd you do it? Ninja hound? Tracking skills?"

Minato shook his head at that, holding up one of the small strands of her hair he'd found. "I didn't do anything, Kushina-san. Rather, it was you who lead me to you. Your hair…"

"M-My hair?" Kushina blushed. "I… wasn't expecting anything to come of that. I… hate this hair of mine. Good for nothing-"

"I wouldn't say that." Minato smiled wryly. "Your beautiful hair… I noticed it right away."

"T-That's not fair, -tebane!" Kushina shouted suddenly, her face flushed far more than she would have liked. "You can't be some stereotypical Leaf-nin and become some totally charming guy the next, -tebane!" she paused then, evidently calming enough to treat Minato with a rare smile. "Still… it seems you're not totally unreliable, Minato-san."

"Minato-san, is it?" the blonde asked, an amused smile coming over him for a moment. It was gone as soon as it came. "We should get back. Mito-san and Jiraiya-sensei. I need to know anything else you know of the Biju."

Kushina nodded in agreement at that, and the two turned, only to come face to face with the giant boar thought defeated.

"Eh?"

"This guy… he didn't dispel?" Minato asked, grabbing a kunai to protect himself.

"Not good…" Kushina thought aloud. "My Chakra Chains… that guy's eyes made me use them on myself… I'm completely exhausted."

"Nothing for it then," Minato said, preparing for battle, "stay close. I'll try to distract it with-"

What Minato was going to distract it with Kushina never found out, for at that very moment, a thunderous sound tore across the clearing, and everything stopped.

Minato, caught off guard, found himself gripping his ears in pain; a severe throbbing drummed inside his head, and it took everything he had to remain focused on the boar, much less whatever it was that caused such a sound. Kushina had no such trouble.

"Minato-san? Are you alright?" she asked, but the blonde could not hear her. Far too focused he was, on maintaining his sense of self.

It was then that Kushina felt it; a sick, terrible sensation akin to bloodlust, but… _different_, in the smallest of ways.

The trees began to wilt and shy away from each other, and the earth shook and trembled in slow, menacing beats.

A sharp wind blew through the clearing like a vacuum, and Kushina knew, _knew_, that they were in danger.

Realizing the blonde could not hear her, the red-haired kunoichi made plans herself. Quickly grabbing her blonde rescuer, she leapt into the trees, all the while drawing several small seals Mito had taught her for such an occasion. With her already depleted chakra reserves it was dangerous, she knew, but if they were to have any chance of surviving, it would be through the stamina Minato still had. She could only hope he'd have enough to run with the both of them.

The seals slapped down upon Minato's skin, and suddenly he could _hear_, he could _breathe_! He took a deep breathe, clearing his mind of the terrible headache that had accosted him seconds earlier, and spoke.

"Kushina. What's happening here? What is this… feeling, I have?"

"Minato-san…" Kushina whispered, her face tired and body weak. She collapsed, and Minato only just caught her in his arms.

"Run."

The ground roared and trembled once more, and seconds later, a wall of orange fur burst forth from the trees, smashing into the dazed boar and tossing it into the sky. Dirt and plant debris rose from the ground as the boar loosed a pain-ridden shriek, and Minato watched as the giant _thing_ ripped into its flesh, biting it clean in two with a single snap of its menacing jaws.

The blonde stumbled back, barely catching himself. Just being the presence of such a beast was draining him, and he knew that if he remained in its presence much longer, he would die. Still, he steeled his nerves. He could not leave, yet. He had to know what he was facing. He had to know just what this thing was. And so, taking a deep, calming breath, he narrowed his eyes, and watched.

The thing was large, of that there was no doubt. It stood over at least a hundred meters tall, and those teeth… no wonder it appeared as nothing but a wall of orange when they were so close! Minato grimaced, adjusting his grip on Kushina as he retreated to a higher viewpoint. He could not yet tell the details of the creature before them.

It was not until he reached the tallest tree that he had even an idea of what it was they faced, and how truly terrifying its attack on Tanzaku Gai had been.

The beast easily towered over the forests in the Land of Fire, and pondering this, Minato decided that it was roughly the same size of the Hokage Monument so far away. Its rippling orange fur was its most prominent feature, but with it, were a pair of long, sharp-tipped ears, reared back for the purpose of hearing the first thought of an attack.

Its hind legs were built like a beast, but its forearms were far different, more akin to those of human arms than anything. Its claws were just as sharp as its fangs, and as Minato took in the sight of its nine, swirling tails, he felt a sudden unease overtake him.

"_Nine Tails. The Kyuubi. The legends were true."_ Minato thought, unable to speak, unable to breathe. _"I need… to kill it. To cut out its heart. Contain it, before it can harm Konoha."_

It was just a thought, but no sooner did Minato think it did the beast pause, and turn toward his position.

Red eyes met blue, and the beast _glared_.


End file.
